Tag: Sisters in Crime

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Writer's Notes

A Chat with Author George Cramer

Mona Lisa Sisters by George Cramer

By George Cramer

The Mona Lisa Sisters by George Cramer

The Mona Lisa Sisters is a tender journey into the making of a family. The novel is full of careful historical detail and the pleasure of European trains and cities and plenty of mystery to keep the pages turning, but the greatest delight is Lura Grisham herself.

– Ramona Ausubel, author of Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty

An enrolled descendant of the Karuk Tribe of California, George Cramer, brings forty years’ investigative experience to crime and historical fiction. He holds an MFA-Creative Writing Program from the Institute of American Indian Arts.

George conducted and managed thousands of successful investigations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He kept his investigative skills honed by volunteering as a Missing Person’s investigator at the San Leandro, California Police Department.

In addition to the Public Safety Writers Association, George is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the California Writers Club. He is a contributing author to several anthologies and the Veteran’s Writing Project. Other than writing, his love is long-distance motorcycle riding his 2001 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic.

George’s debut novel, The Mona Lisa Sisters, was published in 2020.

When and how did you begin your writing journey? Before my sixty-eighth birthday, I was laid off from a fantastic job when H-P bought out Palm, Inc., beginning a journey through the world of age discrimination. One day, I saw a note about a writing class at the Dublin Senior Center—whose doors I swore never to cross. I took the class and fell in love with writing. Overcoming forty-five years of report writing was difficult. One day, the instructor randomly passed out photos to the class. “Take fifteen minutes and describe the scene.” I did not do as instructed. The second I saw the image of two young girls staring up at the Mona Lisa, I knew I was going to write a novel. In fifteen minutes, I had a rough sketch of what began an eight-year ride to The Mona Lisa Sisters.

I knew I needed help and formal training. For help, I joined the Tri-Valley Branch of the California Writers Club, followed by the Public Safety Writers Association. I went to the local community college for formal training, Las Positas, and pursued an English degree. I followed by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for an MFA.

Writing at sea

IAIA introduced me to a group of superlative authors and mentors. My cohort mentors were Ramona Ausubel, Ismet (Izzy) Prcic, and Marie-Helene Bertino. These fantastic people guided my writing throughout the program and remain in my life.

Thonie asked about projects and what book I’m reading. That’s tough. For pure enjoyment, I just reread Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. Two book clubs selected The Mona Lisa Sisters, so I’m reading eleven of the other books selected for the year. I’m reading a half-dozen other novels for a project I’m excited about.

When I began work on Mona Lisa, I set aside a thriller/police procedural spread over forty years, 1930 to mid-1970. I hope to have it published by the end of 2021. I’m also working my way through a crime trilogy. I never knew retirement would be so hectic.

George Cramer

The Mona Lisa Sisters is available through Amazon and the IAIA Book Store. You can reach me at gdcramer@msn.com and visit my blog at https://gdcramer.com. If you stop by, please leave a comment and follow.

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Writer's Notes

Guest Post: What I’m Thankful for as a Writer

tangled web front cover jpegBy Marilyn Meredith

Though I’ve always written from the time I was a kid, I didn’t really get started on the submitting, getting rejected and re-submitting merry-go-round until later in life, I’ve had much to be thankful for—and I’m going to start with that first book that I sent out to a publisher.

1. The used portable typewriter my mother gave me. (This was in the days long before computers, copying machines, Internet and emails. I retyped that first 500 page book many times.)
2. My first computer and the dear man who sold it to me and taught me how to use it. (This was in the days of the real floppy discs.) I bought several computers from him and he continued to teach me the intricacies. And I am so thankful for all the time computers have saved me since.
3. The first critique group that listened to my historical family saga and pointed out that I knew nothing about point-of-view. I had no idea what they were talking about.
4. The Internet and email. I’m sure I don’t have to explain why.
5. My mentor, Willma Gore, who was in my 2nd critique group for many years and taught me so much about writing.
6. All the publishers (good and not so good) who took a chance with me. I learned from all of them.
7. The critique group I’ve been in for years and all the members along the way who have taught me so much and helped me make my writing better.
8. My son-in-law, the police officer who got me interested in police work and took me on my first ride-along. And all the law enforcement offices and mystery authors who’ve become my friends since that time—especially those who belong to PSWA.
9. All my writing friends who have given me so much encouragement along the way, including fellow members of Sisters in Crime and MWA.
10. Mike Orenduff of Aakenbaken and Kent who is republishing all of my Rocky Bluff P.D. mysteries, including this new one, Tangled Webs.
11. And to those mystery writers who had a great influence on me long ago like Agatha Christie and Ed McBain.

A special thank you to Thonie for hosting me today.

Marilyn, who writes the RBPD series as F. M. Meredith

Blurb: Too many people are telling lies: The husband of the murder victim and his secretary, the victim’s boss and co-workers in the day care center, her stalker, and Detective Milligan’s daughter.

Link: : https://tinyurl.com/yabj9z9f

Marilyn in Vegas 1Bio: F. M. Meredith who is also known as Marilyn once lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff. She has many friends and relatives in law enforcement. She’s a member of MWA, 3 chapters of Sisters in Crime and serves on the PSWA Board.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com
Blog: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com
Facebook: Marilyn Meredith
Twitter: @marilynmeredith

Though I’ve addressed this before, in case you ever wondered why I write police procedurals this answer is on John Wills blog: https://jwillsbooks.com/blog-posts

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Writer's Notes

Writers Clubs: Finding Help Along my Writing Path

 

P Jager Wild Deadwood Tales anthologyBy Paty Jager

I began my adventure of writing when my children were young. That means over thirty years ago, I started the search to find like-minded people. My first couple of attempts at connecting with other writers weren’t very promising.

There was a local writing group I found out about, but they were mostly poets and I wanted to write fiction. We weren’t a very good match. Then I found out about an event called Fishtrap that happens every year in the county in Oregon where I grew up. I attended one year when I had written a historical western romance after having read LaVyrle Spencer and thinking I could write stories like that.  The workshop I signed up for had a New York Editor allowing you to read your work to her and she’d give feedback. She started on one side of her allowing each person to read a page of their work. I was struck by how different the stories were and how some resonated and while others didn’t make any sense to me, yet she praised them all. Then it was my turn. I started reading and everyone visibly leaned away from me. The editor stopped me and asked if I’d heard of RWA- Romance Writers of America. I hadn’t. She told me to see her after the workshop. I had read a genre book in a literary workshop!

I was ecstatic with the information she gave me. I went home, joined RWA, and received their magazine which told me about conferences all over the U.S.! I was elated to see there was one in Seattle, only 5 hours from where I lived. I went, and it was like walking into a room full of mes. 😉 I had finally found people who thought the way I did, with characters in their heads, and who were either published or working at it, like I was. I had found nirvana!  And I discovered there were two chapters only 2 ½ hours from where I lived.

The Salem chapter was the perfect fit for me. Easy to find, friendly people, and a small group. I drove the 2 ½ hours once a month for close to 10 years. I found the meetings helpful and enlightening. There were all day Saturday workshops I attended, and I continued to go to the Seattle conference every other year to learn more on the craft, publishing, and the business of writing. After 7 years and the same amount of books written, I became published with a small press in historical western romance.

While being part of RWA, I was a chapter vice president and president. I also joined a local writing guild becoming their program chair and bringing in more presentations like I’d come to love at the RWA meetings on craft and the business side of writing.

Now there are so many online groups you can join that it’s hard to know where to start. I have since left RWA because my heart is really in writing mysteries. It was from the start, but I couldn’t find a group to help me hone the craft of writing in the genre I loved. Now I belong to Sisters in Crime an online national group that is an off-shoot of RWA, ALLI- Alliance of Independent Authors, Indie Authors, and Mark Dawson’s Self Publishing Formula group. While I am still working on craft, I now need more knowledge on marketing and publishing since taking the Indie Author plunge in 2011.

I also couldn’t write and stay sane without the friendship of a group of ladies I met either through RWA or the writer’s guild. We meet once a month for a potluck lunch and discuss where we are at in our careers and projects and talk about what we’ve each heard in the writing world. I’m also a member of an Author’s Co-operative.  We are all Indie Authors who have a community website and sell our books from the website and support one another with promotion, kudos, and pick-me-ups.  While I tend to be an introvert, I’ve come to rely heavily on these last two groups. They are the people who have my back and I have theirs.

I would have to say, I can’t think of a better writing path than the one I’ve had and continue to follow.

Paty

P Jager Wild Deadwood Tales anthologyWILD DEADWOOD TALES Anthology

Rodeos and romance, Old West adventure, and even a few ghostly tales. Deadwood’s wild past and exciting present come alive in seventeen original short stories written by USA Today and Amazon bestselling authors to benefit the Western Sports Foundation. Contributing authors: E.E. Elisabeth Burke, Zoe Blake, Paty Norman Jager, Teresa Keefer, Megan Kelly, Sylvia McDaniel, Amanda McIntyre, Peggy McKenzie, Angi Morgan, Nancy Naigle, Jacqui Nelson, Terri Osburn, Ginger Ring, Maggie Ryan, Lizbeth Selvig, Tina Susedik and A.C. Wilson

Proceeds from this limited edition collection go to benefit the Western Sports Foundation, an organization providing critical assistance to athletes competing in Western lifestyle sports. Whether they need help recuperating from an injury or planning for the future, WSF is there for them.

universal Link https://www.books2read.com/WDTales

 

2017 headshot new
Paty Jager

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 32 novels, 6 novellas, and numerous anthologies of murder mystery and western romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

blog / website /  Facebook / Paty’s Posse / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest   / Bookbub

 

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Writer's Notes

Conferences: An Overview by Michele Drier

By Michele Drier

M Drier ASHES_cover_eBook_final-1I’m not even sure when I first attended a conference. It was probably better than forty years ago. It was a conference on Women’s Rights (I’d been appointed to the Attorney General’s Commission on Women’s Rights by my state senator) and the guest speakers were Delores Huerta and Jane Fonda.

Funnily enough, even with that lineup, it’s an issue that’s still headline-making today.

Since then I’ve attended conferences, been a panel moderator and panelist, convened state-wide panels and put on conferences in the areas of the arts, affordable housing and homelessness, and recognizing and preventing elder abuse.

And in the last six years, since I published my first book, conferences on mystery reading and writing.

Though the underlying topics differ, the basic format stays similar. Headliners speak, or are interviewed, awards are given, experts speak on issues, and most, important, attendees mix, mingle and meet people.

Hands-down, authors are the kindest, most open people I’ve met in years of conference-going. They’ll take the time to talk to a fan, or an aspiring author, in the stairwell, the restrooms, the bar, the elevators.

Beyond the “names,” conferences are a great place to meet people, make friends and that over-used word, “network.” As an attendee you’ll talk to people just like you who are looking for an agent, trying to figure out marketing, discover good software to use for plotting, weigh the pro and cons of traditional vs. indie publishing.  There’s a wealth of information and help available for up to four days in one place, and it’s yours to take advantage of. Read the panel descriptions, look up the panelist’s bios, attend the publisher-sponsored hospitality events.

 

M Drier toronto panel
Bouchercon 2017 in Toronto-panel

 

To keep down the cost, consider sharing a room with someone—even someone you don’t know! I shared a room a few years ago at Malice with Polly Iyer, a writer I only knew through the online Sisters in Crime group, the Guppies.  What a delight! Witty, wry, a dynamite writer and now a good friend. The only drawback is that we live about 3,000 miles from one another. And in October, at Bouchercon 2017 in Toronto, I shared a room with Mo Walsh, the president of the New England chapter of MWA.

 

Writer’s conferences range from one-day, small (Capitol Crimes, my local Sisters in Crime chapter does a single-day workshop bi-annually that attracts about 90 writers) to large, four-day affairs (Bouchercon 2016 in New Orleans had 2,000 attendees).

Attending conferences for me pays double duty. I was the president of the Sisters in Crime Guppy chapter for two years and “knew” about 650 people scattered across the country (and in Europe). Thanks to some conferences, I’ve met many of them, including Sheila Connolly, whose adventures in owning an Irish cottage I’ve been following.

If you’re overwhelmed by large crowds, pick a small one first. California Crime Writers in L.A., (in Southern California, bi-annual, limit of 200 attendee); Public Safety Writers, annual, Las Vegas; Malice Domestic in Bethesda, MD (they’ve been keeping it to about 500); Killer Nashville. On the Right Coast is New England Crimebake, that they keep to 250.

Even Left Coast Crime, at about 800 registrants, is edging up. Then the large ones: Bouchercon at about 1,500 and Thrillerfest…I don’t even know.

But don’t be put off, there’s a lot of information out there and hundreds of compatriots who now look like old hands. But they, too, made that first step and registered for a conference.

There are hundreds of them all across the county, not to mention CrimeFest in Bristol, England and Bloody Scotland. Oh, I’d love to do those!

Full disclosure: I’m the co-chair for Boucheron 2020 in Sacramento, I’ll be at Left Coast Crime in Reno in March, 2018 and, because I also write paranormal romance, at the Romance Writers’ of America conference in May 2018. Whew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 2018 will feature four more posts about conferences-large and small. Narrowed your conference $$ down? Leave a comment, let us know!
—Thonie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Michelle DrierMichele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She is the president of Capitol Crimes, the Sacramento chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the co-chair of Bouchercon 2020.

Her Amy Hobbes Newspaper Mysteries are Edited for Death, (called “Riveting and much recommended” by the Midwest Book Review), Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, and a stand-alone thriller, Ashes of Memories, published in 2017.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, has consistently won awards and was the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 from the Paranormal Romance Guild. The series is SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, Danube: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights,  SNAP: All That Jazz, and SNAP: I, Vampire.

 

Visit her facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleDrier, her website www.micheledrier.com or her Amazon author page, http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Drier/e/B005D2YC8G/

 

 

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Writer's Notes

Conferences: An Introvert’s Guide to Writing Conferences by Laurel S. Peterson

Peterson Shadow Notes Cover compressedBy Laurel S. Peterson

First, thanks so much, Thonie, for having me on your blog. I’m delighted to be here.

The number of conferences available to writers is legion, and figuring out how to choose among them can be overwhelming, especially if you’re at all like me: an introvert who prefers the company of close friends and family, work and the big brown eyes of my Labrador Retriever! I offer the following comparison among three types of conferences as a way of thinking about what might work for you.

The Literary Conference
The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) holds the mother of all literary conferences once a year, usually in the spring. It has grown so large that it now takes a convention center to host, and it brings in major literary writers from all over the U. S. Recent featured speakers have included Jaqueline Woodson, Azar Nafisi, and Colum McCann.

Its size makes it both intimidating and approachable. As an introvert, you can get lost in the massive crowds, going from panel discussion to presentation to book fair without anyone noticing—which can be either lonely or a relief. On the plus side, the panel discussions are often intimate, and provide opportunities to talk with both the writers on the panel and the conference attendees. Large conferences also offer fabulous speakers; it’s fun to listen to writers talk about their own work and to get insight into their creative processes. AWP also has an incredible book fair. Focused on small presses, it’s a football field’s worth of interesting books to explore by wonderful writers you might never have heard of. If for no other reason, the conference is worth this.

In addition to on-site events, there are lots of off-site readings and presentations, frequently hosted by MFA programs or small presses. The conference fee is cheaper if you join AWP, and joining gets you access to a great website with interesting articles and resources about writing, job postings in creative writing, editing, etc., and places to send your work.

The Genre Conference
Genre-focused conferences, like Bouchercon or Thrillerfest, are useful for genre writers, in the same way as the literary conference. They provide an opportunity to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise encounter, give you a chance to hear writers talk about their processes and publishing issues, and to peruse books by authors you might not see in your local bookstore or on Amazon. I have also found genre conferences to be much friendlier than literary conferences. The writers are more willing to talk to anyone—regardless of pedigree. Perhaps this is due to the difference in market; that is, the market for genre works is so much wider that genre writers perceive everyone as a potential reader.

Their panels are also focused specifically on the craft you are practicing, so the tips are immediately applicable to your writing efforts. while I’m often too tired to write during a conference, I do find myself jotting notes about how to approach my work once I recover!

The Working or Experiential Conference
My favorite conference is The Writers’ Police Academy, which is run by ex-police officer Lee Lofland. Everyone who attends is writing (it’s not a mixed fan/writer conference, like Bouchercon), so they are all interested in the information provided by the experts: firefighters, police officers, federal enforcement officers of various flavors—even canine officers—as well as forensics experts, psychologists, and so on. Because it is small and everyone stays in the same hotel and eats together, it is easy to make friends and to talk to the professionals, who join in with the festivities. Sisters in Crime (SinC) offers a discount to its membership, and SinC offers so many other benefits besides this that the membership is worth it whether you go to this conference or not.

Other conferences focusing on craft are also useful. Attendees are usually united in their desire to help themselves and be supportive of each other. My graduate alma mater, Manhattanville College, holds a Summer Writers’ Week that is grounded in a daily morning workshop. Afternoons are comprised of craft talks, publishing panels, and time to write before one returns to the workshop the following morning. Of the three, I find these working conferences the most useful, although I recognize that the other two are useful in terms of marketing one’s work once it has made its way into the world.

The other factor, of course, is money. None are cheap, and without employer support for professional development, I probably would not have attended nearly as many as I have. Even so, I always end up spending more money than I get back. So, the question is whether you get value for your money. I would suggest deciding beforehand what you want from the conference: is it to network? is it to connect with your market or a publisher? Go to AWP or Bouchercon (or its kin). Is it to work on your own writing or voice? Then an experiential conference is probably what you’re looking for. Being open makes a difference, as the surprise interactions, meet-ups, and discoveries are part of the fun. No matter which you finally choose, it’s an investment in your writing career.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting some great ideas about your next conference? Leave a comment, let us know!

—Thonie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.utechristinphotography.comLaurel S. Peterson is a Professor of English at Norwalk Community College. She has written a mystery novel, Shadow Notes (Barking Rain Press), two poetry chapbooks, That’s the Way the Music Sounds (Finishing Line Press) and Talking to the Mirror (Last Automat Press), and a full-length collection, Do You Expect Your Art to Answer You? (Futurecycle Press). She currently serves as the town of Norwalk, Connecticut’s Poet Laureate. You can find her at www.laurelpeterson.com, on Twitter: @laurelwriter49, or on Facebook.
You can purchase her mystery novel Shadow Notes here: Buy and her poetry, Do You Expect Your Art to Answer? here: Buy.

Other useful links:
AWP: https://www.awpwriter.org/
Bouchercon: http://www.bouchercon.com/
Writer’s Police Academy: http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/conference/
Sisters in Crime: http://www.sistersincrime.org/
Manhattanville College Summer Writer’s Week: https://www.mville.edu/summer-writers-week-manhattanville-college

 

 

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Conferences: Where to go? Which to Choose?

SkinofTattoosCoverBy Christina Hoag

For crime fiction authors, the good news is that there are plenty of writing conferences. The bad news is that there are plenty of writing conferences. It can be hard to choose the best investment for your money and time.

I decided not to choose. I just went to a slew of them, although not all by any means. Not only did I have a great time at every one, I found value in all of them. Each offers something different, and from each I took away things I didn’t know before, as well as a host of new friends. Frankly for me, networking is one of the best reasons for attending conferences. I love meeting other writers, discussing, writing, publishing, reading. These are my peeps!

The two biggies are Bouchercon, held in a different city every year, and Thrillerfest, held in New York City. Both get well over 1,000 attendees. I chose to attend Thrillerfest this year, leaving Bouchercon for 2018. Thrillerfest is the most expensive con of the bunch, plus Manhattan is a pricey destination, which is something to keep in mind. But this is the place for networking and there’s plenty of opportunity to mingle and fangirl with the biggest names in the business from Lee Child to Lisa Gardner. Thrillerfest also hosts a separate event, Pitchfest, which attracts a ton of top agents and editors, a key advantage to being in the center publishing industry.

There are also a host of smaller regional conferences, usually sponsored by local chapters of the MWA and/or Sisters in Crime. These typically attract 200-300 attendees, including published and aspiring authors and fans, and cost $200-$350. Most offer authors a chance to participate as panelists and to sell and sign their books in the con bookshop, and make great promotional vehicles if you’ve got a new book out or are simply seeking exposure.

Cons have different requirements for panelists so that may affect where you choose to go if promotion is your goal. Sleuthfest, held around Florida, for example, requires panelists to be published by approved publishers. Killer Nashville is friendly to independent and pre-published writers while New England Crimebake in Boston does not allow authors to request panels and selects its own. Magna cum Murder in Indianapolis, California Crime Writers Conference, held biannually in Los Angeles, and Left Coast Crime, offered in a different western city every year, generally offer authors panel spots.

Another factor to look at is the con’s subgenre emphasis. Malice Domestic, held in Bethesda, Maryland, is geared to cozies and traditional mysteries while Thrillerfest is as its name suggests.

Finally, you may choose a particular conference simply because it’s in a place you want to visit or where you have friends or family. Whichever conference you choose, you can save by planning well in advance and taking advantage of early bird prices, usually starting the year before. Another cost-cutting tip: you can stay in less expensive hotels or with friends and Uber back and forth. I’m already looking forward to my next conference in 2018.

~~~~~~~~~~

ChristinaHoagAuthorHeadshotChristina Hoag is a former journalist for the Miami Herald and Associated Press who’s been threatened by a murderer’s girlfriend, had her laptop searched by Colombian guerrillas and phone tapped in Venezuela, hidden under a car to evade Guatemalan soldiers, posed as a nun to get inside a Caracas jail, interviewed gang members, bank robbers, thieves and thugs in prisons, shantytowns and slums, not to forget billionaires and presidents, some of whom fall into the previous categories. Her noir crime novel Skin of Tattoos (Martin Brown Publishing, 2016) was a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for suspense, while her thriller Girl on the Brink (Fire and Ice YA, 2016) was named to Suspense Magazine’s Best of 2016 YA list. She also writes nonfiction, co-authoring Peace in the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence (Turner Publishing, 2014.

Christina makes her home in Los Angeles and lives on the web at www.christinahoag.com.

Her novel Skin of Tattoos is available at http://amzn.to/2bSRjqP

 

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Guest Post: A Crushing Death

The Setting for A Crushing Death

By Marilyn MeredithA Crushing Death Right (1)

I love the California coast and its beach communities, particularly the small ones. My affection comes from growing up in Los Angeles and as a teen being able to take public transportation with my friends and visit the beach often. My family made excursions to many nearby beaches whenever we had a free summer weekend.

When my own family was growing up, we lived in Oxnard, one mile from the beach and from April until fall we trekked to the beach and spent as much time there as possible. At that time Oxnard and Hueneme beaches weren’t like they are today. There was public access to all the good places to swim and sun.

The Rocky Bluff in my series is much like the beach community of the earlier times in Oxnard. Because it is fictional, I moved it north to a place between Santa Barbara and Ventura, but still in Ventura County. If you try to find it, you’ll be disappointed because it’s completely fictional, including the bluff that gave the town its name.

I’ve written about Rocky Bluff so much, I can see it in my mind as well as a memory of any place I’ve ever been. I know the broken-down condemned pier and have used it in many of the mysteries. The sand dunes are much like those that my family and I traipsed over and settled near for barbecues.

Things are changing in Rocky Bluff, just like they change in any town. The low-rent cottages along the beach will soon be nothing but a memory as developers come in to build condos along the ocean front. Of course the city council expects this to bring in more revenue. Hopefully some of this revenue will be used to hire more police officers and purchase more up-to-date equipment. But that’s all in the future.

For now, the Rocky Bluff P.D struggles with being understaffed, underpaid and having to rely on Ventura County’s labs and coroner.

I love writing about this beach community.

F.M. aka Marilyn Meredith

A Crushing Death Blurb:

A pile of rocks is found on a dead body beneath the condemned pier, a teacher is accused of molesting a student, the new police chief is threatened by someone she once arrested for attacking women, and Officer Milligan’s teenage daughter is has a big problem.

Bio:

  1. M. Meredith who is also known as Marilyn Meredith is nearing the number of 40 published books. Besides being an author she is a wife, mother, grandma and great-grandmother. Though the Rocky Bluff she writes about is fictional, she lived for over twenty-years in a similar small beach town. Besides having many law enforcement officers in her family she is counts many as friends. She teaches writing, loves to give presentations to writing and other groups, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, three chapters of Sisters in Crime and on the board of Public Safety Writers Association.

Website: http://fictionforyou.com

Blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Buy: A Crushing Death

Facebook: Marilyn Meredith

Twitter: MarilynMeredith

Contest: Once again, the person who comments on the most blogs during this tour, can have a character named after them in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery. Tomorrow you can find me here:

http://jlgregerblog.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

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